“You are what you eat,” as the saying goes. Apparently, what you eat affects how you sleep too.

Studies have found that nutrition has a huge impact on how well you do (or do not) sleep. Ensuring that you get sufficient amounts of the four nutrients listed below is a great step toward ridding yourself of sleep troubles and insomnia.

1. Calcium

It is common knowledge that calcium is necessary for bone development. What is not as well-known is the subtle role that calcium plays in allowing your body to sleep well.

Calcium naturally soothes the nervous system, which speeds up the process of quieting down the mind prior to sleep. When you are stressed, calcium levels are rapidly depleted, which makes it even harder to fall asleep.

If you decide to take calcium supplements before bed, remember that your vitamin should also contain vitamin D as vitamin D facilitates calcium absorption.

2. Magnesium

Magnesium deficiency can lead to unexplained anxiety and nervousness, which makes it difficult to fall asleep.

Even worse is that once asleep, people with magnesium deficiency sleep lightly and wake up frequently. As a result, it is difficult to feel rested in the morning even if you were able to fall asleep.

To counteract a deficiency, eat foods that are high in magnesium like almonds, cashews, and bran.

3. B-Complex Vitamins

Several vitamins are included in the B-complex. Vitamins B3, B5, B9, and B12 are particularly important in the body for regulating sleep cycles.

Vitamin B3, also known as niacin, is recommended to help people with depression or those who wake up frequently to sleep better. Vitamin B3 also enhances the effectiveness of tryptophan, an amino acid that aids in the production of serotonin (a mood regulator).

Vitamin B5, also known as pantothenic acid, can help reduce feelings of anxiety or stress. Without enough vitamin B5, you may start to feel fatigued yet unable to sleep.

In its natural state, vitamin B9 is called folate; folic acid is the term used when the nutrient is man-made. Whether you get folate from your diet or folic acid from a supplement, it is yet another B vitamin deficiency that can exacerbate insomnia. Folate is found in green leafy vegetables (spinach, lettuce, broccoli), beans, peas, lentils, lemons, bananas, and melons.

Vitamin B12, also known as cobalamin, helps the body maintain its circadian rhythms, which control the sleep and wake cycles. Without enough B12, you may start to feel irritable, exhausted, and have trouble focusing and falling asleep. Many doctors recommend vitamin B12 to treat insomnia and possibly rectify other sleep disorders.

4. Zinc

A study on the zinc levels of adults found that higher levels resulted in participants sleeping uninterrupted for longer duration.

In closing, if you suffer from insomnia or sleep disturbances, take a moment to consider your diet. In general, if you eat well, you sleep well. Talk to your doctor about potential absorption issues that can lead to deficiencies, which in turn can cause insomnia.

A note from Nutrition Breakthroughs: Sleep Minerals II contains the necessary minerals and vitamins to remedy insomnia and support better sleep – calcium, magnesium, vitamin D and zinc — all combined in a softgel with healthy oils. The softgel form is more quickly absorbed than tablets or capsules and provides a deeper, longer-lasting sleep.

Tammy M. of Meridian, Idaho says: “I was plagued with insomnia for five years and desperate for a breakthrough. Nothing has helped me more than Sleep Minerals II – I’m so sold on them I could go door to door promoting them. I’m 60 years old and have never slept so soundly.”

Richard P. of Parkville, Maryland says: “The Sleep Minerals are making quite a difference. I was regularly waking up at around 3:00 a.m. and after a few days use my sleep improved quite a lot. I wake up once a night to go to the bathroom, but the great thing is, I then fall back asleep and sleep several more hours. This has been a great improvement.”

Which vitamins and minerals are the most famous ones for their role in supporting good sleep? These definitely would be calcium, magnesium and vitamin D.

For example, a study in the European Neurology Journal tested calcium levels in the blood during sleep and discovered that calcium peaks at a high point during the deepest levels of sleep such as the rapid eye movement phase (REM), when dreaming occurs.

Recent studies are showing that a lesser-known vitamin also plays a vital role in preventing insomnia – the eye strengthening Vitamin A.

With the National Sleep Foundation reporting that close to 60% of Americans are experiencing sleeplessness and insomnia at least a few nights per week, many people are spending a lot of time and energy searching for some effective, natural ways to sleep better. One study on vitamin A that’s related to sleep was published in the PLOS Journal (Public Library of Science).

The researchers selected 2,459 adults aged 20 to 85. They discovered that people who have lower blood levels of vitamin A have higher odds of having a shorter sleep duration (i.e. 5-6 hours per night), compared to those with more vitamin A having a better sleep duration (7-8 hours per night).

Vitamin A, long-known for its benefits to healthy eyes and vision, is also a key to helping regulate the sleep-wake cycle. When light from the sun enters the eyes, it’s vitamin A that provides the middle step for the brain to then know it’s day and not night. With adequate vitamin A in the eyes at night when it’s dark, one’s night vision will be strong – unless most of the vitamin A is used up for its light translation duties in the day time. If the eyes are weaker at night, this is a possible sign of vitamin A deficiency. When the vitamin A sunlight signal grows weaker, the body knows it’s nearing time to go to sleep.

The best ways to get adequate vitamin A is through whole foods – namely egg yolks, butter, vegetables with a green, yellow and orange color, liver and cod liver oil. Vitamin A supplements are also an option, but are best taken as part of a diet that includes healthy sources of vitamin A, as well as good sources of other important vitamins and minerals. Eating a healthy diet would include grass fed meats, poultry and fish, a rainbow of organic vegetables, and good fats like avocados, coconut oil and olive oil.

Another thing to consider for helping to prevent insomnia is reducing the use of electronics and TV at night or at least turning them off an hour before bed, in order to limit their melatonin-blocking effects. In an article from the Lighting Research Center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, the researchers said: “Our study showed that a two-hour exposure to light from self-luminous electronic displays can suppress melatonin by about 22 percent. Stimulating the human circadian (wake-sleep cycle) system to this level may affect sleep in those using the devices prior to bedtime.”

Magnesium has been shown in several studies to relieve insomnia. In one study from the University of Iran, people with insomnia were given magnesium tablets twice a day for eight weeks. They experienced significant increases in quality sleep time, with less night time interruptions and fewer early morning awakenings. Magnesium can be found in foods such as green leafy vegetables, pumpkin seeds, almonds, avocados, figs, bananas, brown rice, and other nuts and seeds. Magnesium supplements are a good option as well, particularly those containing magnesium citrate which is highly absorbable.

One supplement shown to have good results for insomnia is Sleep Minerals II from Nutrition Breakthroughs. This formula contains highly absorbable forms of calcium citrate and magnesium citrate, the best minerals for sleeplessness and insomnia, as well as for heart health, restless legs syndrome, bone strength and menopause insomnia. It also includes vitamin D and zinc and is delivered in a softgel form with healthy carrier oils, making it more quickly absorbable than tablets or capsules and providing a deeper, longer-lasting sleep.

Tammy M. of Meridian, Idaho says: “I was plagued with insomnia for five years and desperate for a breakthrough. Nothing has helped me more than Sleep Minerals — I*m so sold on them I could go door to door promoting them. I*m 60 years old and have never slept so soundly.”

To sum it up, good strategies for sleeping well and avoiding insomnia include having some good sun exposure during the day, limiting use of electronic devices at night, doing some regular moderate exercise, eating a nutritious diet, and using some key supplements.

This natural health news is provided by Nutrition Breakthroughs, a publisher of nutrition articles and supplier of effective natural remedies since 2001. Nutrition breakthroughs makes Sleep Minerals II, the effective natural sleep aid with calcium, magnesium, zinc and vitamin D, and also Joints and More, the natural solution for joint relief, aches and pains, stronger hair and nails and more energy.